A UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SMART ISLANDS, AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE OCEAN

Summary and Highlights of the Phase 1 Execution

      Realizing Teaching Innovation: Various innovative courses have been implemented to improve students’ performance in various professional disciplines as well as their key professional competencies. Instructors are encouraged to develop their professional potential in their industry or participate in instructor communities to improve their professional abilities. Integration between industry and the courses have been vigorously promoted. Two quotas for semester internships have been provided to the Department of Shipping and Transportation Management by Wisdom Marine Group. In collaboration with the relevant industries, two groups of students have been trained to participate in the Information Industry Entrepreneurship Team and Guided Entrepreneurship Competition. In this competition, the students completed two competitive and marketable works—one for smart agriculture and the other for home monitoring systems aimed at older adults. The students invented products under guidance, and they successfully applied for two patents for their green energy generation devices. The first device was a solar power system maintenance and management device, and the second was a wind power system maintenance and management device. A total of 29 innovative teaching experiment courses have been kickstarted in Phase 1. These courses have integrated local communities into their curricula as teaching sites, thus incorporating culture and creativity into their course contents. Considering how creativity is a major entrepreneurial element in local industries, the International ICT Innovative Services Awards 2019, hosted by the Ministry of Education, awarded first prize to the National Penghu University for its efforts.

      Developing Unique University Characteristics: With the foci on marine tourism, culture, technology, and wisdom, eight subprojects have been proposed. These projects are (1) establishing a scientific and technological model and training a workforce for marine resource rehabilitation, (2) upgrading the traditional industries of Penghu, (3) cultivating ocean wisdom, (4) cultivating exemplary cities, (5) growing the industry, (6) developing a low-carbon green island, (7) enhancing ocean sailing recreation and island tourism, and (8) preserving marine culture, island fish education, and the cruise industry. In Phase 1, 50 projects were executed; 86 seminars and practical courses or lectures have been hosted; 1781 relevant professional licenses have been acquired, constituting 29% of the licenses earned in the entire university; 922 personnel have visited the university in group visits; and 8 field trips and 4 product implementation experience events have been hosted. The highlight of Phase 1 lies in the integration of theory with practice in the use of local resource design, which enables students to more deeply engage both theory and practice and implement them in the future. Through this, students’ appreciation of the industry, international perspectives, and insights on industrial trends have been enhanced. In addition, the students have also been encouraged to participate in official competitions worldwide, earning milestone achievements in the process.

      Enhancing Higher Education Publicity: This project is conducted over five subprojects: (1) institutional affairs research, (2) promoting instructor upgrading through multifaceted approaches, (3) improving admission mechanisms for disadvantaged students, (4) establishing an academy for older adults, and (5) fostering gulf space innovation. For the first, the subproject in school affairs research focuses on analyzing the sources of new students and the drivers of academic performance to formulate more effective admission strategies. As for the second, the subproject aimed at promoting multifaceted measures for instructor upgrading involves a plan to optimize the student–instructor ratio as well as a plan to hire instructors with doctoral degrees and practical experience in industry to improve teaching quality. As for the third, the subproject for improving admission mechanisms for disadvantaged students primarily involves implementing study grants, scholarships for students working part-time at the university, subsidy for disadvantaged students to take license exams, and making teaching visits to local junior high, senior high, and vocational schools. As for the fourth, the subproject of implementing an academy for older adults involves courses emphasizing local learning, innovation, and diversity. As for the fifth, the subproject for gulf space innovation focuses on innovation in the yacht and keelboat industry as well as the ocean cultural and creative industry; it also focuses on the comprehensive training of ocean recreational sports talent. As part of this subproject, Captain Nelson Liu, the first ethnic Chinese person to circumnavigate the Earth, was invited to share his new perspective on navigation.

      Fulfilling Social Responsibilities: the National Penghu University of Science and Technology has allocated campus resources to (1) create English teaching projects and materials for elementary and junior high schools; (2) establish marketing coaching teams in cooperation with community business districts; and (3) ensure continual coordination with government in low-carbon and energy-saving policies, specifically in using biomass energy and developing energy-saving equipment. In addition, the university has reinforced its teaching and research capacity to coexist and prosper with local communities, supported local industries, and assisted in the economic, cultural, and marine biology research in Penghu. Coral reef restoration tours have been planned and executed. The university also strives to strengthen the association between its courses and local communities, thereby enhancing students’ employment competitiveness and cultivating exceptional practical industrial management talents.